


Days Gone Bye

by AliceMaravilhas



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Anger, Angst, Domestic Violence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-18 20:19:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16523951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceMaravilhas/pseuds/AliceMaravilhas
Summary: Tired of the abuses of daily life, Georgia flees to her grandfather's old farm.





	Days Gone Bye

She lay her hot, bruised face against the cool window of the bus and closed her eyes. Five hours in and more than five hours to go. Her fingers curled around the envelope, the last gift from her late grandfather. The deed to his farm and an antique key to the farmhouse.

Those were her only possessions in the world, aside from her backpack with a change of clothes. She didn’t have a cellphone, a laptop or even a tablet.

The last time she’d been to the farm had been the day after her grandfather’s funeral, nearly three years ago. At the execution of his will she’d scoffed, offended that she wasn’t given the same inheritance as everyone else. He called her the favorite and had given her the farm instead of the money.

Now it was her safe haven, just like it had been every summer between the ages of 10 and 17.

Three long years. Back when she’d been climbing the corporate ladder, a moderately successful lawyer for the JoJa company. Back when the man on her arm had loved her in the most tender fashion. 

The loud brakes on the bus jolted her from her thoughts and she swallowed past the lump in her throat. Her life was not what she’d imagined.

Of course, neither was her old life, but she didn’t like to think about that.

The doors to the bus opened and several people got on. A mustached man with glasses sat down next to her and gave her a mild smile.

“Hello.”

She cleared her throat. “Hello.”

He settled in his seat after swinging his briefcase in the overhead bin. “Where are you headed to?”

Great. He was chatty. Georgia didn’t want chatty. She wanted quiet. She wanted peace.

She looked down at her hands in her lap. “Stardew Valley…Pelican Town.”

“Me too! I’m the local doctor,” he grinned and puffed out his chest. “I’m Harvey.”

“Georg…ia.”

His brow twitched but he kept smiling at her. “Visiting family?”

“No. I’m moving there. To the farm.”

“Bracken farm? That place has been abandoned for years.”

“I know. It used to belong to my grandfather.”

“Ah.”

She put on a polite smile and turned back to the window, attempting a discreet move in pulling her sleeves over the bruises on her wrists.

Again, she curled up to the window and closed her eyes. Of course, she wouldn’t sleep. She never could sleep on public transportation. But she could pretend so Harvey would stop being chatty and she could have a little bit of quiet.

Harvey, however, did not take a hint. “I could show you around…”

She nearly groaned at the eager hopefulness in his voice. Georgia turned to him and shook her head. “Thanks, but I used to summer there as a kid.”

I used to summer there. She cringed at the pretentious words dribbling out of her mouth. She sounded like a fool.

Harvey looked dejected, but he put on a peppery smile. “Then you should have no trouble fitting right back in.”

An eternal optimist. Cute. “Thanks. I’m just going to sleep now. It’s been a long night.”

“Well, I’ll be here if you need anything,” he said, chuckling at his own joke.

“I’ll, uh, hit you up if that’s the case.”

She folded herself back into silence, stroking her thumb over the soft white envelope….

**“Holms!” Her boss’s red, wet face was inches from hers. “Where the fuck is my fucking brief?”**

**She leaned back, the better to avoid the spittle flying from Spitty Scott. “On your fucking desk?”**

**“I was just at my desk. I need that brief two fucking hours ago!”**

**Georgia inched her coffee away from any surplus of spit. “I put it on your desk an hour ago.”**

**If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed how purple his face turned. “I said I needed it two fucking hours ago. You’re on my fucking shitlist.”**

**She wiped her face of excess saliva and muttered, “when am I fucking not?”**

**He stabbed a finger in her face. “Don’t fucking start with me Holms, or you’re fucking going to get it.”**

**It took every ounce of self-mastery for her not to roll her eyes. “My apologies, sir. The brief, along with the completed file are both on your desk, waiting for approval. No edits necessary.”**

**“You sure fucking think highly of yourself.”**

**“No, I just know I’m the best.” She eyed the coffee mug. Smashing it over his fucking idiot face would give her the best orgasm of her life. She just fucking knew it.**

**“Just watch your ass, Holms. You might be one of the best lawyers we have here, but good fucking lawyers are a dime a dozen in Zuzu City. I could replace you five times over by the end of the day.”**

**“Yes, sir.” If he didn’t shut his spit spraying mouth, she’d really be fired for making him wear her coffee.**

**He scoffed, turned on his heel and slammed the door on his way out.**

**“What a fucking asshole.” She pressed her fingers to her temples and stared at her shoes. Her two paycheck shoes that her husband threatened to trash just that morning.**

**Her head was starting to pound, so she opened her desk drawer in search of Tylenol. All she found was an empty bottle. She was sure she had another in there somewhere. As she searched, her fingers brushed an envelope and she pulled it out. It was heavier than she remembered.**

**On it was her grandfather’s familiar scrawl: “To my dearest granddaughter, Georgie.” She opened it and read the familiar letter inside: “There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burdens of modern life and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness. When that happens, you’ll be ready for this gift.”**

**She had quite forgotten she’d stuffed the old envelope at the back of her desk drawer, unopened and unloved. As unloved as she’d felt. A few weeks later, when the familiar summer ache came, she opened the letter and read it. But it meant nothing to her then.**

**Now, it meant freedom from the hell that was Joja company. Freedom from the hell that was her marriage. Freedom from the city.**

**Freedom.**

**And it also meant Shane.**

Something shook her, not rough, but gentle. She started awake, violently and lashed out at poor Harvey, knocking his glasses off his face.

“I’m so sorry!” She grimaced and bent down to pick them up. Her head knocked into his and she reeled back. “Fuck me.”

Harvey laughed nervously. “I usually like a nice steak dinner first…”

She winced. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He offered her his hand and she took it, allowing him to swing her to her feet. She threw her backpack over her shoulder.

“I guess we’re here,” she said, rather stupidly.

“Yes, we are.” He glanced over her shoulder. “And it looks like Mayor Lewis is here.”

“Oh god,” she glanced over her shoulder and Harvey gasped.

“What happened?” he grabbed her chin, the better to examine the bruise that covered her face from eye socket to lower jaw.

Georgia flinched and yanked away. “It’s nothing.”

Harvey held out his hands. “I’m sorry, that was the doctor in me. I’m usually not so…ah fuck.”

She watched his face redden and she patted his hand. At least she wasn’t the only awkward one. “It’s fine, I understand. I’m fine. Thank you. Better go greet the welcome wagon.”

He nodded and removed his glasses, polishing them on his shirt. Poor guy. Georgia knocked him on the shoulder and went to greet the Mayor.


End file.
